


Hold Me. I’ve Lost My Anchor.

by SterekShipper



Series: A Heart’s Price [1]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Liam’s POV, M/M, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22733728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekShipper/pseuds/SterekShipper
Summary: Once again Liam and Theo had been in a fight. There was nothing unusual about that. It happened all the time. It was a natural part of their relationship.This fight however, had a different ending.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (minor), Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: A Heart’s Price [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634683
Comments: 6
Kudos: 90





	Hold Me. I’ve Lost My Anchor.

_‘You’ve reached Theo. Leave a message or don’t. I’ll call back if and when I feel like it.’_

“Theo. Answer your phone.”

_‘You’ve reached Theo. Leave a message or don’t...’_

“Look, I know we had a fight but when don’t we? Call me back.”

_‘You’ve reached Theo... I’ll call back if and when I feel like it.’_

“You’re being so childish. I thought we could talk about this like adults but clearly I was wrong.”

_‘...a message or don’t... when I feel like it.’_

“Theo, I’m starting to worry. Call me. Let me know you’re alright.”

He jammed the key into the ignition, his car roaring to life. Never in his life had he been so tempted to break the law. Every fibre of his body was screaming, urging him to speed up; burning with the need to find Theo.

It was just a fight. There was never a reason. Not really. Their relationship consisted of bickering and playful jibes. A bond had formed the night of the hospital. The night Theo had faced the Ghost Riders head on, fully intending to sacrifice himself. All to save him.

It had only continued to grow over the years, blossoming into more than just friendship. What begun as trust and comfort, soon led to a sense of security and from there it was only too easy to start developing feelings.

Though tentative at first, it had also been sweet. Standing closer following tense battles, tight embraces after a near miss, quickly morphed into gradual kisses during times alone. From there, there had been intimate dinners and a romantic rendezvous.

Their relationship had become official a year after graduation.

_‘You’ve reached Theo...’_

“Theo, I’m really scared now. You never go this long without calling. Even when we’re fighting. I need to know you’re safe.”

An itch was forming under his skin, his carefully constructed control slipping away. He felt it clawing at him, his nerves eating away at him.

_‘You’ve reached Theo...’_

“Theo please.” He had reached breaking point, hearing the whine in his own voice. “Will you just- Shit!”

In that moment, his heart failed. No stutter, no warning. It just stopped. A muffled clatter arose, his phone slipping through limp fingers. As he jumped out onto the road, he couldn’t breathe. It felt as though a noose had fastened around his neck, a crushing weight pressing on his chest.

The world around was muted; colours dulled, sounds muffled, a distant echo blanketed in heavy fog. He barely registered his footsteps, the crunch of gravel underfoot, his rapid heartbeat.

All he saw was the rolled truck.

Theo’s truck.

“Theo!”

Misshapen and mangled metal remained where a door had once stood, now a crumpled mess. Glass littered the car, a shattered explosion of shards lining the seat and footwell. The blood stained drivers’ seat left his throat dry. At this point, you could longer classify the movement in his chest as a heartbeat. It was a current of torrential rain, launched full force at the seams, desperately fighting to break free.

He stepped back in a haste to reach his car, clutching with heavy fingers for his phone hidden under the seat. “Scott?” He could hear the crack in his voice, the panic rising, unable to hold it back any longer.

“Liam? What’s wrong?” Scott’s voice came, concerned at the state he was in.

“Theo-Theo’s gone. He’s missing.”

“Slow down. Tell me what happened.”

He tried to take a deep breath, only for it to catch and release in a sharp exhale, leaving him in need of more air. For every breath, the air seemed to be thinning, with only fragments of sustainable air making it through to his lungs.

“We had a fight and he left. I tried, Scott. I tried to find him but his truck rolled. It’s a mess and there’s blood. There’s blood. Someone took him.”

“Alright. It’ll be okay. Well find him, Liam. I promise.” At this point, the only thing keeping him from falling over the edge was Scott’s firm reassurance. It served as a lifeline, keeping him afloat in these treacherous waters. “Where are you?”

“On the road leading out of town, a few miles past the hospital.”

“I’m on my way.”

Time slowed, trickling by like sand in an hourglass. He could almost sense the particles, intertwining with his own.

He repeated Scott’s words first to himself, then aloud. They formed a mantra, one he desperately needed to believe. As the seconds passed, he could feel his control slipping. His claws dug into his thighs, drawing blood. His laboured breaths rung through deaf ears. Hands tight on his head, fingers laced between his hair. Elongated teeth tore at the flesh of his lower lip.

A metallic taste flooded his mouth, sending a wave of nausea crashing over him.

A sound rose somewhere in the distance, a constant droning on his fraying nerves. It pulled at the last threads of his conscious sanity. The drone grew until it became a plea, a plea slowly becoming recognisable.

It was calling to him, luring him to the surface. There was a desperation to it, a need.

A voice.

Scott’s voice.

“Liam.”

It was quiet. Far away.

“Liam. Can you hear me?”

He clutched onto it. Reaching for its comfort.

“Liam.”

Louder. It was getting louder, closer. He could almost feel it.

“ _Liam._ ”

A sharp inhale arose, preceding a string of shorter bursts. Gradually his heartbeat regained regularity, soon returning to normal levels.

He lowered shaky hands, lifting his head to gain a sense of his surroundings.

Scott was there. Hands gripping his shoulders, grounding him; gaze etched with concern. Stiles and Derek stood to the side, prepared to step in at Scott’s signal.

“Scott?” He croaked, voice a whisper.

“We’re here, Liam. We’re going to find, Theo.”

“I need him. If anything happens-”

“I know you’re worried but Theo’s strong. He’ll hold on until we get there. We’ll save him.”

“This was definitely hunters.” Derek announced, scrutinising the wreckage. “They shot the tires. This was calculated.”

“What do we do?” He couldn’t pull together a useful thought, his mind a frazzled mess. The possible pain Theo may have been in... it kept playing through his mind like a record on loop.

“I’ll ask Chris if he’s heard of any rogue hunters in town recently. He may know who might have done this.” Scott explained. “Derek, you and Stiles will-”

A hail of gunshots sprayed the road, interrupting Scott as two pierced his lower chest and arm.

Derek pushed Stiles out of the way, guiding him firmly behind the truck and out of the line of fire. “Stay here.”

“I may be human but that doesn’t mean I’m incompetent.”

“Stiles, I mean it. Don’t move. I don’t need you getting hurt.”

“Wow, real romantic, Der.” Stiles huffed, reluctantly agreeing.

His feet moved of their own accord, barely registering the movement as a bullet tore at his arm. The blue of his iris changed, a golden hue taking its place. A low growl rumbled, a clear sign his anger was taking control.

A heartbeat carried loudly across the otherwise deserted road, slow and steady. Firm. It led him forward, a traceable path to the person hidden beyond the trees. The person intent on killing them all.

The hunter.

In the blink of an eye, he’d reached the tree line and wrapped a hand around the hunter, prying him out of hiding. His claws sliced through the thin fabric of the man’s shirt, a knife forged out of rage. Stones scattered beneath a plume of dirt, the crack of bones breaking, a hiss of pain. Fuelled by his heightened senses, succumbing to the primal instincts of the wolf, he attacked the hunter.

Lunging forward, he landed on top of the older man’s body, ignoring the way he cradled his arm and grunt of pain. “Where’s Theo?!”

Silence. Not a single word in response.

“Where is he?!”

“You’ll never find him. That _mutt_.”

One word.

That was all it took to feel the strain of his restraint snap, sending him over the edge. Fist buried firmly in the man’s hair, he wrenched his head back with a sharp twist. “If you despise us so much, maybe you should be a _mutt_ yourself.”

The hunter’s eyes widened, terror stricken.

“Liam!” Hands reached for him, resting on his shoulders. Tension boiled within every muscle, far beyond his control. He thrust his weight sideways, fighting the hands.

The hands pulling him back, pulling him away.

“Let go!”

“Liam! You can’t hurt him. You’re better than this, you’re not a monster.” Scott tried to reason.

“ _He’s_ the monster Scott! They took Theo! I’m not about to do nothing!” He screamed, voice raw with fear. It took Scott’s complete power to hold him back. As the grip on him slipped briefly, he wasted no time breaking free, only to find himself restrained by Derek.

The hunter scrambled back, losing what limited footing he’d mustered and winced with renewed pain.

“I suggest you answer and fast.” Stiles added. “I don’t know how long they can hold Liam. That is, unless you were planning to acquaint yourself with how sharp his teeth are first hand. I assure you, he doesn’t share Scott’s reservations when it comes to harming someone. Especially, seeing as the person you took is very important to him.”

The hunter huffed an empty laugh, lacking believability. “You’re lying. Scott McCall would never allow that.”

“Maybe not but I guess we’re about to find out. Let him go, Derek.” 

A split second, a momentary release in pressure. That was all he needed. The need running through his veins, powering his every thought.

“Wait!”

He didn’t stop. The hunters plea meant nothing to him. Afraid and alone. _Theo_. His mind kept repeating his name, a constant loop. _Theo_. 

He had to find him.

He had to. 

Blood stained his claws, dripping from broken skin at their tip.

“I’ll tell you where the boy is!” The hunter was trembling, a frenzied gaze flickering between the Pack, shrinking back at the gold bleeding through his glare. “The old warehouse! They take all captives there.” 

With that, he moved. The rest of the world faded away, his selective reasoning channeling it out.

“Liam!”

He wouldn’t stop. He couldn’t. Not even for Scott whose calls fell on deaf ears.

“Keep an eye on him and call the Sheriff. I’m going after Liam.” Scott took off without waiting for a reply, shifting mid-run.

❧

Gunshots. They were everywhere. The night air was filled with the sounds, echoing off the remnants of the metal facade around them. For as long as the warehouse had remained abandoned, it still held a formidable sight; intact enough, it withheld their immediate entry. Hunters surrounded the property; clearly they’d had the thought to guard the kidnapping sight more than their attempted abduction of Scott and the Pack earlier.

That wouldn’t stop him from getting to Theo. He could hear the familiar heartbeat deep inside the sealed walls; the same yet beating way too fast. It was obvious Theo was distressed and he felt his anger rising, blood boiling at the thought of someone hurting Theo. He’d do whatever he had to. After everything they’d been through, he wasn’t about to let some hunters get the better of him.

Just as a bullet pierced his shoulder, Scott arrived with Derek and Stiles in tow. Within seconds, they stood alongside one another. Scott knew just how desperate he was, how much he needed to see Theo, to know he was safe. Which is why Scott fell back into his role as alpha, taking charge of the situation before he lost control. “Liam, you and I will take the front. Derek you’re on the side and Stiles, the back.”

Breaking into form was second nature; an unfortunate advantage brought on by the sheer number of battles and wars they’d fought over the past couple of years. Luckily these hunters didn’t seem well versed in how to inflict true harm, seeing as none had thought to lace their bullets with wolfsbane. Scott took down several hunters defending the door, their only point of entry. Derek was close behind. They were unconscious within minutes. 

A scream tore through the building and he finally snapped. The absolute terror and pain in that cry, left him overpowered by rage. There was no holding back; what little restraint he’d had before, had vanished the moment he heard Theo’s fear. Theo didn’t scare easily; what did scare him was buried and guarded behind layers of walls built to protect himself. Few people saw behind those walls. If Theo was unable to mask his fear, something was terribly wrong.

There would be hell to pay once he got his hands on the person responsible.

With the remaining hunters in his sight, he attacked without mercy until every last one was unconscious. It didn’t take him long to reach the others, who were standing over yet another unconscious hunter, pushing past without a moment to waste. He was oblivious to Scott’s calls, the only sound registering was Theo’s cries of pain, the ever increasing heartbeat. Ahead, a door blocked the path but he didn’t stop; rather he merely ripped the door from its hinges, the crunch of crushed metal splintering under his grip. As it crashed to the floor, the thud which followed carried through the small room on the other side.

In that moment, he was left seeing red. What he saw was Theo, chained to a steel board, shirtless and with a device attached to his chest. There was blood everywhere. Dried blood lined his cheeks, lips and arms, clearly from earlier cuts, long since healed. Pools of fresh blood also surrounded the deep holes dredged into Theo’s chest. A sole hunter stood nearby, eyes widening at the pure murderous glint in his eye. All he saw when he looked at the hunter, was the trigger in his hand.

If the man wanted terror, he’d show him terror. 

As the hunter ran, he threw himself forward, dragging the man down with him. He growled, letting his fangs descend. The man was a shaking mess beneath him. “Turn. It. Off!”

He watched as pale fingers clutched blindly for the trigger, which lay to the side, having dropped in the fall. A quick swipe of the buttons and the device, whatever it was, stopped. “How does it come out?”

“Just pull it. You don’t need anything.”

“In that case, I don’t need you anymore.” He smiled when the man quivered in fear. No one hurts Theo and gets away with it.

Scott and Derek’s appearance was met by the sound of bones snapping. “Liam!”

He stood up, without sparing a second glance at the man groaning behind him, clutching at his now broken leg. “Now he can’t get away. He’s lucky that’s all I did.” 

He put everything aside as he approached a trembling Theo, placing a hand gently on the device. “I’m sorry, Theo.” This was going to hurt, he knew it would. He hated the idea of causing Theo anymore pain than he’d already felt but he had to take it out.

Gripping both sides of the device and taking a deep breath, he pulled it out in one swift movement. He winced at the earsplitting scream which tore through Theo, breaking a piece of him with it.

That scream would forever be burned into his memory. 

Focus.

He needed to focus.

Theo was depending on him. 

The restraints.

He moved with renewed vigour, determined to get out of this place and put this mess behind them. All he had to do was break the restraints.

There was only one problem. As soon as his hand touched the chains, his skin begun to burn. He pulled back with a hiss; the healing burn mark on his palm, all the evidence he needed to know what it was. “Wolfsbane.” He growled; he was quite tempted to show the hunters what it felt like to be burnt.

“Stiles!” Derek called out into the distance. Footsteps echoed through the hall. Facing the door, he stood on alert. He wasn’t about to let someone sneak up on them. Derek stepped in front, a hand holding him back. “Listen.”

He heard the recognisable heartbeat, that was Stiles. The closer he was, the more thunderous his steps became. Soon, Stiles was stumbling through the door, arms flailing. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?! Whose hurt?!” Stiles was almost climbing Derek, in his haste to ensure he hadn’t been injured in any way. Derek, who merely rolled his eyes and lightly pushed Stiles off. “We’re fine.”

“Well, excuse me, for being worried about my werewolf boyfriend and werewolf friends’ safety, in a building full of psychotic hunters.” He drew his hand into a fist, blood dripping from the claws pressed firmly into the skin. Of course Stiles would have something sarcastic to say. It’s not like they were in a rush or anything. “Hunters who I’ve rounded up by the way. They won’t be going anywhere until dad arrives.”

They didn’t have time for this. “Just break the chains.” He didn’t feel guilty in the least for snapping; here they were, arguing, while Theo remained trapped. Not to mention, he actually _was_ hurt.

“Let me guess. Wolfsbane? How original. You’d think if hunters were going to go to the trouble of planning this, they could at least make it interesting.”

Derek huffed, eyebrow raised. “Really, Stiles? Would you prefer they use something that you can’t break either?”

“Of course not.” Stiles continued, as he untiedeach one. He couldn’t care less about their conversation; he just wanted Theo back. “I just meant, they could try-” Stiles cut himself off abruptly, scrambling backwards with a gasp. Before he could react, Derek stepped between Stiles and Theo, who was now free and ready to attack. Seeing Theo shrink back at Derek’s growl, rendered him in a state of shock. He’d never once, imagined Theo would ever withdraw from a fight. He’d always been so strong willed and confident. Seeing Theo now, so meek and scared was disconcerting. Whatever the hunters had done, had to have been bad to have Theo pressed against a wall, trembling.

“You’re scaring him!”

“ _He_ attacked Stiles!”

“He was just tied up and _tortured_. Of course he attacked! How do you expect him to react?!” You can’t expect someone to just get over what Theo’s obviously just gone through. Sure, he doesn’t want Stiles hurt and he could understand where Derek as coming from - they were both trying to protect the person they loved. Theo however, couldn’t be held responsible for his actions, not when he clearly wasn’t in his right mind. 

He moved past Derek, ignoring the glare in favour of slowly making his way towards Theo. Hands raised, he stopped a few steps back and took a deep breath. “Theo? Theo, it’s me.” He didn’t get a response; it was almost as if Theo hadn’t heard him. “You’re okay now. We’re all here; Scott, Derek, Stiles.” He could see tears forming, threatening to spill at any moment. It only made it worse. He’d never seen Theo cry before. Not once. Not at the hospital. Not when he brought Theo back. Not even when he’d realised Theo was homeless. It had been a tense conversation; he couldn’t stand the idea that Theo had been living in his truck that whole time. He had never been more angry with himself, than knowing he hadn’t realised sooner. Knowing he’d been at home, in his warm room, in his comfortable bed; while Theo had been sleeping on the hard seat of his truck, in the cold night, in danger of being found by any number of hunters.

Finding out that the Sheriff’s deputies had known all along, hadn’t helped matters. In fact, Theo had had a hard time convincing him not to go down there and confront them. They both know it wouldn’t end well. Not unless he calmed down first.

Theo had been irritable, short-tempered and sure of himself. Vulnerability had never been Theo’s strong suit. To let people see behind the act he put on, to let his guard down, to have people see he was hurting...

It was one of the hardest things for Theo to do. Despite all of that, there hadn’t been a single tear. That’s what broke him. If Theo was this upset, something very bad had happened. What had the hunters done? 

The last thing Theo would want is for anyone to see him like this.

“Scott, can you give us a moment?”

“We’ll be outside if you need us.” Scott didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone; not here, even if they had disarmed all of the hunters. It wouldn’t take much for something to go wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time.

With Derek and Stiles following Scott, taking the hunter with them, he could finally be with Theo. Just the two of them. “You’re safe, Theo. They’re gone. The hunters are gone.” He watched as Theo wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them closer, hands clenched in a desperate attempt to protect himself. At least he knew he was getting through, that Theo could hear him. “We’re here. _I’m_ here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, again.” 

His breath hitched when Theo slowly looked up, eyes meeting his own. “Liam?” The way Theo’s voice cracked, the broken sob...

He’d do everything to take the pain away. To make him feel safe. “I’m here. You’re free.”

That was it. That was the final straw. Those two words, ‘you’re free’, was all it took for Theo to break down. He wrapped his arms around Theo as he fell forward, holding him close.

He never wanted to let go.

He wanted to hold Theo for the rest of their lives, making sure no one could get to him. 

He needed this as much as Theo did. To reassure himself it would be okay. That he hadn’t been too late.

“They said they had you. They said they would kill you. Kill the Pack.” Theo spoke through broken sobs, breath shallow from the strain.

“They tried.” He whispered. “Unfortunately for them, they only sent one hunter. Seems they always underestimate us.” He smiled softly, revelling in the shaky laugh he received in return. “We’re fine, Theo. _I’m_ fine.” 

He sat there, not moving an inch as he held Theo. Theo, who had placed his head on his shoulder. In the silence which followed, he couldn’t help but wonder about what had happened, what the hunters had been about to do. What they _would_ have done if he didn’t get there when he did. 

Only when he felt Theo swallow, did he realise he’d asked it aloud.

“Theo, you don’t-”

“They wanted to take it.” It was barely more than a whisper, the words mumbled into the groove of his neck.

“Take what?” What could these people have wanted? This had to be more than just their usual attacks. Interrogating Theo would be pointless; he’d never give them anything to use against anyone, no matter what they did. It’s possible they might have tried but it felt like it was more than that. Theo had been through a lot, he was no stranger to torture but he always came out as fierce as ever.

“My heart. They wanted my heart, Liam.” 

He froze.

In that moment, he could almost feel his blood boiling. It was bad enough Theo had to relive what had happened in hell, every time he closed his eyes. The nightmares, the screams dying on pale lips, the flicker of raw emotion...

It was more than he could handle at the best of times. He didn’t need to face the real life version as well. The fact the hunters had used that, had forced Theo to go through that...

Its a good thing Scott had taken the hunter with them when they’d left, otherwise he may have done something he couldn’t take back. He hadn’t struggled to control his anger, to prevent his IED overpowering him in a long time. Not since Theo had become his anchor. He was holding on by a thread; one so thin it only withheld the strain because Theo needed him.

Theo needed him here. He needed him calm and in his right mind, not off chasing the person responsible for putting them in this situation. 

“They were right.” Theo sounded resigned. “They said-they said I didn’t need a heart. They called me a monster.” It was as if Theo had given up. For all his strength, his perseverance, his wit, Theo had accepted their lies. “They were right. I am.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Liam-”

“No.” He pulled back slightly; enough to see Theo clearly without losing contact. He could tell Theo desperately needed it; to feel him, to know he was there and that he wasn’t leaving. “Look at me, Theo.” It took a moment but slowly Theo looked up, eyes full of fresh tears. “Listen to me. You are _not_ a monster, do you hear me? The only monsters are those so called people. They may be human but they are heartless, sadistic psychopaths.” 

Theo closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. “You know what I’ve done, Liam.”

“You’re right, I do. That’s why I also know you’ll never be like them.”

Theo finally opened his eyes, only to look at him in defeat. “I can’t take back what I’ve done. I lied to all of you. This isn’t even my heart. I stole it. I killed Tara. I-”

“Theo.” He had to stop this. These thoughts weren’t helpful for anyone. “I know you’ve done bad things in the past. Like you said, you can’t change that but you can change how you act from now on. We all do things we regret. That’s the point, Theo. That’s what matters. You regret whatyou did before. You’re trying. You genuinely care. Look at what you did for Gabe. You said it yourself at the hospital. The Dread Doctors manipulated you. You were only nine when they took you.”

It was silent as neither of them knew what to say next. Theo’s heartbeat was still elevated, his scent exuding guilt and shame. He, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about why they were here. He’d lost count of how many times he’d cursed himself, for agreeing to send Theo to hell in the first place. It had been a mistake. A cruel one, at that. Sure, something had to be done. They’d had to stop Theo from coming after the Pack but that wasn’t the answer.

No one deserved to be put through that. No one deserved to have their heart torn from their chest repeatedly. No one deserved to be sentenced to suffer for all eternity.

Now, Theo had to face it all over again. 

“I’m sorry, Theo. This shouldn’t have happened.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“If we hadn’t been fighting, if I hadn’t been so stubborn, you wouldn’t have been out there.” He’d rarely felt this bad before. In fact, the only times he had was when Brett died, when he almost killed Scott and nearly killing Nolan. This was worse though because Theo had relived his worst nightmare. He’d caused Theo to break.

“You’re forgetting I had a hand in that fight.” Theo’s voice held a slight uptick; the light attempt at their usual banter a welcome relief.

“I just hate that you had to go through that.”

Theo sighed, breath warm against the skin below his shirt’s sleeve as Theo’s head came to rest, once again, on his shoulder. 

“I know but it’s not your fault, Liam. You didn’t know this would happen. No one did.” He looked down when Theo placed a hand on his cheek. “You saved me, Liam. You’re the reason I’m still here.”

He could feel his own tears, wet streaks lining his cheeks. It had been so close. He’d come so close to losing Theo. “I don’t know what I would have done, if I hadn’t made it in time.”

“You did though.” Theo leant into him, pressed as close as they could. “I love you, Liam.”

His lips twitched, a small smile forming. It was soft and genuine, brought on from their need for one another and strengthened by everything they’d been through.

“I love you too, Theo.” 

Everything would be alright. He’d make sure of it.

“Let’s get out of here.” 

Theo slouched within seconds of reaching the passenger seat. It was clear Theo was exhausted; the tension never leaving as they left the warehouse and walked to his car. Theo had spent the entire walk looking over his shoulder; anxiety spiking at the slightest movement. It was as if Theo expected someone to jump out at them, any minute now.

Only once they were both seated and the doors locked, did he hear Theo breathe. Scott, Derek and Stiles had left after Sheriff Stilinski had arrived, a string of deputies in tow. He’d left it to them to explain what happened; he couldn’t leave Theo alone. Before leaving, Scott had promised the hunters would be locked up. All except for the one whose leg he’d snapped. That one was on his way to the hospital, before being transported to a cell.

On the way home, he watched Theo settle beside him. The further they drove, the more relaxed Theo became. When he finally pulled into their driveway, he spared a glance at Theo, who had never seemed so relieved in his life.

He knew it would be a long road but they could finally put this night behind them. 

Slipping a hand over Theo’s, they walked inside to be greeted by his worried parents. In his haste, it had failed to occur to him, that it had been almost eight hours since he’d gone in search of Theo. There were several missed calls on his phone to attest for that.

It didn’t help that they’d just turned up with matching expressions of anguish, mixed with relief and one of them covered in dried blood.

It took a long explanation and countless assurances, to convince his parents they were okay. In the end, he was sure it was the fact Theo looked ready to collapse which finally persuaded them to let it be. 

He couldn’t remember a time where they both kept their thoughts to themselves. Neither of them spoke as Theo laid down in his bed. Neither of them mentioned the fact Theo was curled up, covers tucked firmly around him. They said nothing of the fact he had climbed in beside him, arms wrapped in a light embrace.

He took comfort in the way he could hear Theo’s breathing slow, gradually evening out. That’s how they spent the next few hours; clinging to the knowledge they were safe. He felt the world fade away; everything outside of Theo’s heartbeat reduced to static. None it of mattered. The only thing which held any importance right now, was the steady heartbeat beside him. Theo had nearly been taken away from him. Theo, who’d held so much love since coming back. Theo, who’d in a way, been reborn.

His whole life, Theo had to overcome unreasonable challenges, to protect himself from those who wanted to use him. He’d spent his whole life fighting to survive, to rely on himself...

To feel safe. 

It was time Theo received the support he deserved. The support he’d been denied all those years. It was time someone had Theo’s back. He would make sure he would always be there, no matter what. He’d be there to help Theo fight anything which tried to stand in their way, anything which tried to bring Theo down.

He’d be there, if it was the last thing he did. 

If after making sure Theo was sound asleep, with a promise from his parents to call should they need him, he paid a visit to the County Sheriff’s Office...

Well, no one had to know.

**Author's Note:**

> This is part one of my ‘A Heart’s Price’ series. The next one is the same story told from Theo’s POV.
> 
> I thought of this one night and had to write it.
> 
> Hope y’all enjoyed.


End file.
